The Sprout
“BUSINESS AS USUAL WILL KILL US” Westgate ‘die-in’ on 19th August
The newsletter for North Hinksey & Botley
Issue 150 September 2020
1
The Sprout
Issue 150, September 2020
Contents
3 Letters to the Editor
7 Seacourt Hall reopens
9 Botley in Bloom Winners
13 Oxford 15th Scouts
15 Beans, beans, beans
15 Planning Applications
17 Food Parcels Finish
21 Botley Arts – Landscapes
23 Botley Community Larder
27 Glut of Pears
29 Dean Ct carpark coffee
31 Botley Women’s Institute
33 4th Oxford Scouts
36 Randoms
41 Patients Group meeting
39 Local organizations
From the Editor
Welcome to issue 150, which tells us that The Sprout is starting on its
fifteenth year of publication. Slowly, slowly, things are approaching
‘normal’ though quite what that means remains to be seen. The Seacourt
Hall is reopening (p7), though no sign of the Library as yet. Botley WI
held its first meeting (p 31), the voluntary food parcel delivery service has
come to an end (p17), but the Community Fridge has reopened (p 39) and
a Community Larder has emerged (p23) through which, for a small weekly
payment, food which was going to waste can be taken back to feed
families well done, Seacourt Bridge, for providing the space! The
Scouts and the Parish Council are still holding their meetings by Zoom,
and we look forward to learning how the schools will manage to re-open.
Dean Court is holding a coffee morning in the car park (p29). Nature,
meanwhile, is not interested in human problems this year’s extreme
weather has been good for pears, and you can find ways of dealing with a
glut on p 31. Botley Arts, whose exhibitions, like the Community Fridge,
are held in St Peter and Paul’s Church, is showing pictures by Michael
Collier (p21). Virus footnote: our cover photo shows how fervently some
of Oxford’s young people are hoping for a green recovery. They are not
the only ones!
Ag MacKeith
Letters to the Editor
We need our Library
Botley Library moved at the beginning of this year to a splendid new
location. There were broadband issues which meant that there was an
interim solution with the staff using laptops. At the end of March the
pandemic forced the closure of all libraries. Now libraries are re-
opening but Botley library remains closed due to those same ICT
issues. Why, during over four months of closure, was nothing done to
fix this problem? How much longer is it going to be before Botley has
the library that it so badly needs?
Colin & Sally Hersom
Sharing our playing fields
Covid-19 has shown us the value of our green spaces for healthy
exercise in the fresh air, while still self-isolating. As a result, many more
people than ever before are now using the Louie Memorial Fields, gifted
to North Hinksey parishioners in 1939, for safe recreation. Yet North
Hinksey Parish Council is proposing at its meeting on 10th September
to sell exclusive rights of access to most of the Upper Field (the football
pitch and the MUGA and surrounding areas) for the next four years to a
private company (the Acer Trust, which amongst other schools includes
Matthew Arnold Academy) for the whole of the school day and for after-
school activities from Monday to Friday inclusive. This will severely
restrict our freedom to use the Field, and is a huge increase from the
current agreement. As before, the Parish Council has failed to consult
local parishioners and those who use the field. There is no good reason
for Matthew Arnold Academy, a minority of whose students come from
North Hinksey Parish, to take over our field, particularly as they already
hire sports space from the Brookes Sports Centre, and could extend
this hiring if more space is needed. If, like me, you agree that what is
proposed is unfair, write to the North Hinksey Parish Clerk at
clerk@northhinksey-pc.gov.uk and contact your parish councillors (details
on the parish council website www. n orthhinksey-pc.gov.uk ).
Andrew Pritchard
The Chair of NHPC Recreation and Amenities Committee, Cllr Caroline
Potter, has sent this response: I would like to correct some inaccuracies
in Mr Pritchard’s letter. The proposed agreement with Matthew Arnold
School is for the designated sports facilities only, not the surrounding
open green space. It is limited to a maximum of three hours per school
day for the football pitch, and states that public access to the playing
field cannot be restricted at any time. Any further usage of the pitch or
MUGA is on request and subject to approval by the Louie Memorial
Pavilion Trustees, like all public bookings of these facilities. The
proposed agreement is an extension of the current agreement that was
trialled following a full public consultation, and has run successfully
since 2017. For details see the NHPC website: July 2020 Council
minutes (https://northhinksey-pc.gov.uk/events-by-year/?event-cat=
parish-council-meetings) and Louie Memorial Playing Fields page
(https://northhinksey-pc.gov.uk/recreation-amenities-committee/louie-
memorial/). To hear the discussion at the parish council meeting on
10th September, book your space with the Clerk via the PC website.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
APPLE DAY is beginning to look like
SUNDAY OCTOBER 11th.
WILL CONFIRM IN NEXT MONTH’S SPROUT.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Seacourt Hall to re-open at last!
In the July Sprout we reported
on how Seacourt Hall was
being used by the Botley
Community Fridge during
lockdown for storage and
packing; that we had
welcomed our new hall
manager Lottie White; and
that we had launched our new
website. Since then we have
been closely following the
evolving government
guidance, keeping in touch
with our regular user groups,
and planning the steps
required for reopening the
hall. The Community Fridge
will leave the hall at the end of August to refocus as a community larder
working out of the Seacourt Bridge pub. We will then begin the work to
make the Hall Covid-secure and put in place the measures required for
us to reopen.
We know our regular users are keen to return and we hope to be able to
welcome back many groups and activities during September. We plan to
reopen in phases with some activities able to take place before others.
Please check our website www.seacourthall.org.uk or Facebook page
for the latest details. You can also contact Lottie on
admin@seacourthall.org.uk or telephone 07452 960100.
At the time of lockdown the new hall had been open for just two months.
We were taking new bookings and adding more activities for the
community and are keen to bring these back. But we also have a
responsibility to do this safely. This means new guidelines and signage
in place, which hall hirers will need to follow carefully in order to keep
everyone safe and to make the best use of the hall.
The situation and guidance are constantly changing and evolving, so we
will keep everything under review. Please continue to keep an eye on
our website and Facebook page and on the Sprout for updates
including a revised date for our AGM.
Lorna Berrett, Chair, Seacourt Hall Management Committee
Botley in Bloom Winners
Best Over All: Jane Bailey and Jamie Bartram of West Way
Winning Garden – 100 West Way
Jane describes the
background to the
creation of the winning
garden.
We bought the flat
when it was first
constructed and let it
out because we were
living overseas. On
our return to the UK
we moved in and
decided to do
something with the ‘garden’ which had more or less been a dump site
during the construction. It had a decent beech hedge, some bamboo
that threatened to take over the garden and a few plants struggling to
grow in the poor soil/builder’s rubble. We designed a garden with no
lawn but with plenty of sitting area and flower beds. We included a
raised bed next to the hedge in the design to limit the road noise. We
engaged a local gardener to help with the heavy work and started the
project in late April 2019.
After the heavy work we populated the garden with perennial plants
bought locally, most on sale or on special offer. We scrounged plants
from friends and relatives and then waited for them to settle. As soon
as possible we lifted them, split them, and then replanted as many as
possible to fill in the gaps. We used a lot of lavender plants to create
soft edges to the hardscaping and to attract insects. This was a wise
choice. The plants are now very large and covered in flowers.
We added some garden furniture to provide places to sit and relax.
We’re fortunate to have great neighbours who stop by to chat. Some of
our regular visitors are feathered and others have six legs. There are
goldfinches and blackbirds that nest in the beech hedge. We have
many species of bees including the very entertaining Ivy bees. When
we started on this project in 2019 we had no idea that we would be
spending several hours each day getting fresh air during the lockdown.
How glad we are that we made the effort. Thanks to the unusually
clement weather we were able to have breakfast, coffee, lunch and,
sometimes dinner outside several days a week all through lockdown.
Jane Bailey
Being Prepared – 15th Oxford
takes on the Crisis
The 15th Oxford Scout Troop is normally based in
the New Baptist Church at the new West Way
centre, but during the Covid crisis, the Cubs and
Scouts embraced a slew of virtual activities via
Zoom. These have included mini raft building,
quizzes, battleships, bingo and socializing with
each other from a safe distance.
In between meetings, a Badges at Home programme has seen 60
badges awarded to the Scouts and 30 to the Cubs! We’ve now got
cyclists, collectors, chefs, gardeners, DIY-ers, and meteorologists
amongst others in our troop.
The fun hasn’t all been virtual, though. We held a home-based Spring
Camp over the VE day weekend that saw all ages building dens or
pitching tents to camp out, designing bunting, baking cakes, sending
Morse code messages, hosting tea parties, joining online escape rooms
and most importantly learning about Scouting during WW2. Summer
Camp at Home included more den building, more camping out, sign
language, taskmaster tasks, nature trails, international cooking, virtual
sports day and campfire songs.
The traditional camping under
canvas as a troop hasn’t taken
place this year, but we have plans
in place for it to return next year, all
being well. On that happy day the
Scouts will have a weekend camp
at a water activity centre in Wales
and the Cubs, hopefully, will visit
the South Coast and Brownsea
Island (site of the first ever Scout
camp). Both age groups will camp
on a farm over the summer under
canvas. Further down the line we
have made enquiries about an
overseas expedition. Our safety
standards are high, but our focus is
fun!
We have places for new children to join in these amazing activities in
2021. Cubs meet on Friday nights from 6.30 to 8.30, and Scouts follow
on from 8 till 9.30. For more info email xvoxfordscouts@yahoo.com.
We are always on the lookout for new leaders or adult volunteers, no
matter how much or little time you can give. We promise it is an
experience not to be missed.
As Scouts, we believe in preparing young people with skills for life. We
bring communities together and contribute to society. Above all, we aim
to build better futures.
Tom Freeman
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beans, beans, beans
Do Magic Beans grow up and touch the sky?
Do Baked Beans in the tin see eye to eye?
Does the Runner Bean really want to run away?
Does the French Bean parler en Francais?
Is the Broad Bean happy in its skin?
Does the String Bean have to be so thin?
Is the Green Bean jealous of the Leek?
What about the "Has Beans"?&
(Destination : – Compost Heap)
The Bean I forgotti
&is called the Borlotti .
MF
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LOCAL PLANNING APPLICATIONS
P20/V1403/FUL
Vary condition 2 on
P18/V2968/FUL
Field End, Harcourt Hill. Amend drainage
and planting layout. Demolish buildings,
erect 2 dwellings and external works.
12 June
P20/V1446/FUL
Vary condition 2 of
application
P20/V0301/FUL
5 Toynbee Close. Provide Juliette balcony
& enlarge internal area. Revise bin
collection & parking areas. Erect new
building containing two 2-bedroom flats
17 June
P20/V1397/DIS
Discharge condition
4 Chelsie House, 104 West Way. Change
of use from residential dwelling to B&B
23 June
5 (Noise Control)
and 7 (Dust Control)
ref. P20/V0482/FUL
accommodation, with communal area and
bike store. Demolish conservatory and
construct single storey extension to rear.
P20/V1392/FUL 69 Yarnells Hill. Replace single dwelling
house with 5 houses. (as amended by
plans received 7 July 2020) .
24 June
P20/V1522/A Unit 1, Westway Place. Four internally
illuminated fascia signs, 1 internally
illuminated projecting sign, 1 non
illuminated external delivery area panel.
24 June
P20/V1582/HH 42 Hurst Rise Rd. Partial build over
ground floor, add new door & windows.
30 June
P20/V1587/A 9 West Way Square.1 X Internally
illuminated fascia - sign A 1 X Internally
illuminated projecting sign - sign B.
30 June
P20/V1634/PDH 11 Lime Rd. Ground floor rear extension,
floor plan redesign and associated works.
6 July
P20/V1671/DIS
Variation of condition
2- approved plans to
P19/V0416/FUL
Botley Centre. Discharge of condition 28 -
framework travel plan on application ref.
P19/V1731/FUL for internal & external
changes to block B.
8 July
Target Decision
Date 19 August
P20/V1784/HH 33 Arthray Rd. Single storey rear
extension plus 1st floor rear extension.
Change workshop to bathroom with
sauna behind.
20 July
TDD: 14
September
P20/V1661/FUL
Variation of
Condition 1 of
P19/V3252/FUL
34 North Hinksey Lane. Changes to
garage & parking. Variation of condition 2
(drawings) - change to house plans on
Planning P16/V2166/FUL (demolish
existing house and erect 3 dwellings).
24 July
TDD: 18
September
P20/V1515/LDP 19 Chestnut Rd. Change front door and
screen, replace windows & doors. Loft
extension to side and rear with Velux roof
windows.
26 July
TDD: 22
September
P20/V1717/HH 21/22 Hawthorn Close. Add box dormer to
No. 21 to match that at No. 22. Build
matching 1st floor extensions above
ground floor projections. Build matching
ground floor kitchen/diner extensions.
26 July
TDD: 22
September
P20/V1781/FUL
Comments by 3
Sept
The Willows, 4 Yarnells Rd. Demolish
existing house & replace with six 2- bed
flats, parking and amenity space.
5 August
TDD: 30 Sept
End of the Botley food parcel delivery service
At the end of August, the Botley community fridge is closing its food
parcel service. Since mid-March, we have delivered about 12,000
parcels to about 350 families, providing almost 100,000 meal-
equivalents, and saving many tonnes of food from being wasted. We
have delivered food to canal boats, to isolated farms, to people whom
we never saw because they were shielding, to people with special
requirements (FODMAP, Chinese diet, no cooking facilities), and to
someone whose child we have seen through nappy size 1, 2 and now 3.
We have made large deliveries every Monday and Thursday and
emergency deliveries when needed; provided food to homeless people
three times a week; taken nappies and milk to young families; given our
waste food to George the Pig; and had so much fun in the process.
But it’s time to close. Many of our volunteers are going back to work,
and many of our food recipients either no longer need food or can pick it
up from the newly-formed community larder. SOFEA, which has been
providing much of our food, is stopping its free food parcel programme
at the end of August.
Now for the many, many thank-yous. Thank you to everyone who grew,
collected and donated food, toiletries, and pet food, and sewed masks.
Thank you to Saman for weekly deliveries of much-appreciated
samosas for our volunteers. Thank you to everyone who contributed
money, which helped to pay for our drivers’ petrol and for the purchase
of nappies and milk for our young families, incontinence pads/pants for
the not-so-young, and deodorant, toothpaste, breakfast cereal and
sweets for the homeless deliveries. Thank you to our grant providers,
who stepped up rapidly at the beginning of lockdown.
Thank you to the Seacourt Hall Trustees for use of the excellent space,
North Hinksey Parish Council for provision of loo rolls and for facilitating
one of our larger grants. Thank you to Branches for the use of their
fridge. Thank you to our local supermarkets the West Way and
Magdalen Street Tescos, Waitrose, Aldi and the West Way Co-op for
their surplus food, the Oxford Food Bank for lots of non-perishables,
several chicken farms for their surplus eggs, and other stores and
wholesalers who also donated food. Thank you to Souya Ltd. who
delivered milk to us every Monday. Thank you to our fellow community
fridges and hubs for the exchange of food and food recipients.
The biggest thanks by far, however, goes to our brilliant, fantastic team
of volunteers. A small team of drivers picked up food most days of the
week and delivered it to the hall; a bigger team packed it into bags on
Mondays and Thursdays; a really big team delivered the parcels all
around Oxford and beyond (Kennington, Yarnton, Cutteslowe etc.); and
a small team has been going out on bikes three times per week for our
homeless deliveries. The volunteers have supported our food recipients
with patience and grace dealing with people who are only voices on
an intercom, or who aren’t in and want the food delivered elsewhere,
who are deaf, or where the driver is the only person they will talk to that
week. Every volunteer has been a joy to work with, and I have learned
so much from them. I’m particularly grateful to Orit, Rita and Egle for
the admin help, and to Joe who leads many of the homeless runs.
The community fridge is not closing. It will reopen in its traditional
fridge-in-St.-P&P-church format in early September. This will be
complemented by the newly-formed Botley community larder. Do visit
both of them: we look forward to seeing you.
Riki Therivel
Landscapes
Botley Arts is back with a sparkling new exhibition by Michael Collier.
Michael is delighted to be exhibiting his work with Botley Arts, which
consists of local Oxford scenes contrasted with images from Cornwall.
As Michael writes:
“The paintings in the
exhibition are local views
in Oxford and Cornwall,
the two places where I
spend most of my time.
These are quite
contrasting landscapes,
each with their own
attractions. The meadows
in Oxford sometimes
dotted with sheep, cattle
or horses offer some
tranquil scenes. Rivers
and canals with their
bridges, boats and trees
along the banks make
good shapes and
contrasts, and of course
still waters with their
reflections are always a
challenge to pull off.
Cornish views are a
mixture of seascapes,
rugged headlands, cottages and patchwork fields very varied terrain.
The colours can be extraordinary and the light is often strong. It is very
enjoyable painting these scenes and spending time on the detail seems
worthwhile to get a good effect. I like to find new subjects and my style
has gradually developed as I find what works. Nearly every subject
presents a fresh challenge and makes you wonder how other painters
would have tackled it. Not every attempt works out and some you have
to come back to and re-work. Although exhibiting requires a lot of
preparation I am always glad of feedback, because I am always
learning and experimenting. I’ve tried different mediums over the years
but seem to come back to oils which are easy to work with and give a
rich texture. My paintings are generally of similar size, not large, and in
standard mounts and frames, because that’s what people seem to
prefer. You can contact me on michaeltcollier@btinternet.com
The exhibition opened on Monday 24th August and will run until the end
of November. The Church is open every day and the exhibition can be
viewed during daylight hours every day except Sundays.
For further information regarding exhibiting with Botley Arts please
contact Jennie Hopkins: jennie31317@gmail.com"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Community Larder for Botley
Botley Community Larder will officially open at the beginning of
September. We will be providing affordable, surplus food to the local
community food that would otherwise go to waste. The food provided
will include ambient food, chilled meat and dairy products as well as
heaps of fresh fruit and veg.
Now that our sister service, the Botley Community Fridge, is winding
down, we are keen to step up and provide for the countless households
catered to by the Fridge throughout Covid-19. The Fridge has provided
an awesome community service to the whole of West Oxford and we
hope to maintain and grow that. After a long time searching for the
perfect location, we finally found our home in the Seacourt Bridge Pub,
in the heart of the Botley community. The pub is run by an incredibly
generous manager, Tracy, who has kindly offered us her space free of
charge, and supplies all the wonderful teas and coffees.
We will be providing the food in a market-type set up, with members
able to select from 10--20 items of food (depending on membership),
plus fruit and veg, per week. We also hope to host a range of wrap-
around services. We will be running a community café when the larder
is open, offering hot drinks, squash and cake to all those who attend.
Membership will also allow members to access discounts at local
independent businesses, utilities discounts and much more in the
future. We are also hoping to provide freshly cooked reheatable meals
thanks to a generous offer from Oxford Mutual Aid.
Membership starts at £3.50 per week for an individual and £7 per week
for a family. There is also a £10 annual joining fee to cover costs of
running the Larder. If you are keen to join but feel you can’t afford it,
come and talk to one of our volunteers. We reckon that for £7 family
weekly membership, the food equivalent would cost around £24 in
Tesco, and an individual could save up to £500 per year on their weekly
shop.
This is not a food bank. We are not just a food service, we are a
community hub. We are all about getting together, supporting individuals
and businesses in Botley, helping the environment, and going home
with a load of delicious, low-cost food. We are preventing food waste by
saving tonnes of perfectly edible (and often delicious and high-quality)
food from going into landfill. We are not means tested, ANYONE and
EVERYONE can and should join! Whether you are environmentally-
conscious about food waste, keen on community-building and getting to
know other locals, or just enjoy great food at a low cost, this Larder is
for everyone. Do consider joining the first two weeks of membership
are free if you would like to sign up and trial it. Come along to the Larder
sometime for a cup of tea and cake, a chat and to find out more.
The Larder will run every Thursday from 3.30pm--5.30pm starting
September 3rd, at the Seacourt Bridge Pub, West Way, Botley, Oxford
OX2 0JB. Drop by, or message Botley Community Larder on Facebook,
or email us on botleylarder@gmail.com.
We look forward to seeing you.
Sorcha Maynard
Pears: dealing with gluts
If you have your own pear tree, then you will be able to pick more pears
that you can eat before they rot, even if you follow our advice from last
year to pick them before they are fully ripe and store them in the fridge.
If nothing else, you will run out of fridge space! Since modern pears
have been bred to be eaten raw, they can lose flavour when cooked.
Here are two ideas for preserving pears that actually enhance the
flavour.
Poirot Pears
2kg small firm pears, whole
or if large, quartered and cored
500g sugar
150ml white wine (or cider) vinegar
Place pears in 3 litre slow pot or casserole
Gently heat vinegar with sugar, stirring
occasionally, until dissolved.
Pour over pears. Cook very slowly for 6 hours (or more) till soft
To bottle, carefully transfer the pears to clean, hot jars; bring the syrup
to a boil and reduce slightly. Add juice to pears to fill the jars and seal.
This recipe was adapted from Fiona Nevile on Cottagesmallholder.com
who called them Belgian pears for no obvious reason. She used whole
pears, which look prettier but you need to have perfect fruit of all the
same size and they take up more space in cooking and storing.
Pear Compote
1.5kg ripe pears, cut into small dice
150g raisins
350ml apple juice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
0.5 tsp ground ginger
Juice of lemon (optional)
Bring to boil, then simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
Stir and cook 10 minutes more, uncovered, till juice is thickened and
pears tender.
Can be frozen or bottled and served hot or cold.
Colin & Sally Hersom
Coffee in the Car park
at Dean Court Community Centre
As part of our reopening, we’re inviting you all to join us for a socially
distanced coffee morning on Saturday 26 September, 10am–12 noon.
We’ll be offering free tea and coffee (and excellent company!) in our car
park and a chance for you to celebrate the amazing community spirit
that has been shown over these past few months.
It will also be an opportunity for you to learn all about the exciting plans
we have for making our Community Centre even more sustainable and
future-friendly. Some of you may already know that our main hall roof
leaks if it rains heavily and is windy at the same time (not uncommon
here in the UK!). So as well as carrying out repairs to that, we’re killing
two birds with one stone and installing several eco measures at the
same time.
If all goes to plan, the Centre will be kitted out with photo-voltaic (solar)
panels to harness the sun’s energy and we’ll be putting in two charging
points for electric vehicles. They’ll go nicely with our bike racks! Lighting
will be upgraded to more efficient LED versions, and anything else eco-
minded you can think of, we’re on it.
While we’re at it, we’re also planning to replace the brick wall between
the Centre and Pinnocks Way playpark with a fence and gate, opening
up the access between the two sites and improving the appearance of
the area. A win–win situation!
We’ve been busy applying for grants and formulating fundraising plans,
and we’d love your input. So do come along on the 26th and let us know
what you think. Perhaps we can tempt you to sponsor a roof tile or
two?!
Rachael Monks, Centre Manager
Botley Women’s institute
Botley Women’s institute in true W.I. fashion has risen like a Phoenix
from the flames and is back in action again. So far we have enjoyed
walks with the W.I. Walking Group to Hinksey Park, Grandpont and
along the river back to North Hinksey. We also walked along the
Towpath to Binsey and returned along Binsey Lane to the Botley Road.
We walked all the way round Farmoor Reservoir on 3rd August. What a
beautiful day that was – the cloud formation was absolutely stunning (as
you can see in the photo). On Tuesday 4th August eighteen of us held
our first meeting in the W.I. Hall with Liz Manson, President, conducting
the meeting as usual. Everyone had the best time with lots of chat and
laughter. The Corona Virus/COVID 19 that afternoon could have been
on the moon. We met friends and shared time, tea (we had brought
with us) and biscuits (wrapped) in the time-honoured way obeying all
the social-distancing rules of course. We had a ZOOM contact set up
so that members who couldn’t attend could see other members. The
whole afternoon was an unqualified success in the W.I. calendar. We
are, of course, all mourning the loss of our beautiful Denman College*.
It was something very special in the lives of W.I. members. But we are
all looking towards the future with optimism. Well that is what W.I.
members do, don’t they? Among many other things.
Jenny Holloway
*Which has been hit hard by the lockdown. The proposal to close the
college is out for consultation, so a decision has yet to be made. Ed
Scouts zoom into action
The Fourth Oxford have been holding virtual meetings on Zoom during
summer term, and we are looking forward to starting face to face
meetings again as soon as is possible in the Autumn. Meanwhile, some
in the group have been setting up a
Minecraft server in which to hold
meetings. There are different worlds
to explore, mazes and other
challenges, and spaces to run wide
games like capture the flag. There
is a scout hut, a medieval castle, an
amphitheatre and a giant TV in
which to perform before an
audience seated on a giant sofa, a
hot air balloon, and numerous
enormous wild animals.
We have managed to run one Minecraft session for a few of the scouts,
where they were set a challenge to create a home for a character of
their choice. There were some amazing creations, which included: a
space ship hovering in the sky with a laser beam firing at the ground
with sparks flying off; an evil looking square dark building, made for a
demonic king with a throne and places for his cringing servants; a magic
house with pumpkin lanterns floating
in space; an elaborate igloo; an
underground cellar for a demon,
guarded by a lava boundary and a
maze, all hidden deep in a forest; a
pyramid house with a library and
helpful hints for Minecraft
construction; a wizard’s keep with a
secret room behind a fire, holding
lots of chests and with a look out
post with a hot tub; a moated shelter
with home comforts and a secret stash of cake and diamonds; an
enormous hole in the ground leading to a small home; an evil lair with
skulls, surrounded by a moat with fish and submerged blocks of fire;
and an abandoned prison with secret spaces, inside secret spaces, for
a superhero to craft his weapons.
James Wynne, Chair
Randoms
Testing the water
Registration is now open for the next Thames Water Blitz between 25th
and 28th September! If you have taken part before, you can just sign in
to the FreshWater Watch website (https://freshwaterlinks.org.) and click
the registration link on your profile page. Don’t forget to follow Covid-19
guidelines made easier by this being an outdoor activity. This will be
the tenth WaterBlitz taking place in the Thames Valley! It is timed to
coincide with regular water quality monitoring undertaken by CEH
(Centre for Ecology & Hydrology). Sampling at the same time as CEH
helps to provide information from areas and water body types that
would otherwise not be monitored. If you are interested in seeing the
data collected during previous WaterBlitz events and getting to know
more about your local freshwater environment, go to the Freshwater
Links platform: If you are registering for the first time, the link is
www.earthwatch.org.uk/waterblitz. If you have any questions, you can
ask them by email on water@earthwatch.org.uk
Giving bats a helping hand
Have you ever stood in your
garden at dusk and watched bats
swooping through the air at
lightning speed? It's an exciting
sight! These fascinating little
animals are a valuable part of
nature in the UK, but they’re
getting rarer. A gradual loss of
habitat and roost sites are cutting
the numbers, but there are things
that you can do to help. The UK
has around 15 million gardens,
covering an area greater than all
the National Nature Reserves
combined! So our gardens and
public green spaces are important
habitats for wildlife, including bats.
BBOWT (our local Wildlife Trust)
has sourced a booklet telling you
how to make your garden bat-friendly, and some of the things bats get
up to. https://cdn.bats.org.uk/pdf/Resources/Stars_of_the_Night.pdf
New walking map for Botley
An Oxford based charity the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare is
creating a new map of Botley as part of its Green Health Routes
Project. The map will show walking routes from Botley Health Centre to
the area’s nearby green spaces. The charity will be working with the
surgery to establish a weekly led health walk and other nature based
activities. They have previously produced Green Health Routes maps in
other parts of the city, including East Oxford, Wood Farm, Marston,
Blackbird Leys and Jericho. Andriele (Andy) Madison who is leading the
project, would like to hear from Botley residents with details of your
favourite local walks and green spaces. Find out more
on https://nhsforest.org/green-health-routes and please send your
suggestions to Andy on: andriele@sustainablehealthcare.org.uk The
project is supported by Postcode Local Trust, a grant-giving charity
funded entirely by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.
Abingdon Dolphins
Have got in touch to say they are now offering swimming lessons from
skilled and experienced teachers. Find out more from 07931 714120 or
email enquiries@abingdondolphins.co.uk
Organise fuel bills, suppliers, before winter
Citizens Advice has advisers who can help you sign up with a new fuel
or electricity company, or switch to a better tariff. There’s no charge and
you won’t be steered towards one particular supplier because they have
no links with any of them. They offer one-on-one sessions (by telephone
at present) and can help you understand energy bills and various kinds
of tariffs, supporting you if you want to switch and calculating the
savings you might make. If you've fallen behind on bill payments, they
can advise you on ways to reduce your debt by budgeting or trying a
new payment scheme, for example. They can also check your benefit
entitlements and help you to claim them if you're eligible. (There are
several helpful schemes like the Priority Services Register and the
Warm Home Discount.) And they can help you resolve complaints
against your current supplier, if needed. There’s more information on
citizensadvice.org.uk/energyor phone Adviceline on 0300 330 9042.
The (original) Botley community fridge reopens
We’re delighted to tell you that the Botley community fridge will reopen
on Monday 7 September in the glassed-in lobby of St. Peter & St. Paul
church, 81 West Way OX2 9JY. It will be open every day 10-4 though
in time, as church services resume, the Sunday times will shorten. The
fridge gets surplus food from two Tescos, Aldi, Waitrose and
Sainsbury’s. The fresh food is free and available to anyone: it is a way
of reducing food waste. There will also be some shelving with non-
perishables which are specifically for people in need.
To keep everyone safe, the following has been agreed with
environmental health:
Do not enter the church if you have coronavirus symptoms: high
fever, new continuous cough, loss or change to your sense of
smell or taste
Only one per person in the lobby, and no children
You MUST use hand sanitiser before touching any food
Note your name and contact details in the book, for track-and-
trace purposes
Please take only a small carrier bag of food, leaving some for
other people
After taking food, promptly leave the church premises (including
parking lot)
There will be lots of food in the fridge right away, and we hope that there
will also be lots of people taking it! We look forward to seeing you there.
Riki Therivel
Reverend Clare takes a break
Revd Clare Sykes will be on sabbatical leave from 31st August to 22nd
November, and out of email contact, although her church email address
will be monitored on a weekly basis during this period.
School Bus resumes
It is a relief to note that Oxon County Council have continued to fund the
63 bus, which brings pupils in from Southmoor, Longworth, Hinton
Waldrist, Appleton, Eaton, Cumnor, etc, will be running from September.
It’s a two-hourly service running throughout the school day, so also
taking shoppers into the centre of Oxford. Not workers, though! They
can get in, but will need to find another way to get home again.
More winners of the Botley in Bloom competition
Elisabeth Clarke and Peter
England outside their garden
in Poplar Road, winners of
the Best Vegetable Element
Catherine and Emmett Casley,
of Crabtree Road, winners of
the Best Car Bower
Patients Participation Group
Highlights from the minutes of the Patients Participation Group of Botley
and Kennington Medical Practice meeting on July 14 2020
(12 members were present)
Recent experiences with Botley Medical Centre (BMC)
there are reports of patients’ failing to get seen or though to Reception.
Phone too often unavailable and long wait to get through, although one
member had reported a happier experience. BMC need to correct the
on-line prescription system or make sure that patients know that any
alteration to choice of pharmacies will only kick in after the first order.
Action: BMC to remedy the glitch causing this issue
‘Front of house’ issues: A member of the PPG had a problem making
herself understood to the receptionist once she got through (after 25
minutes). We suggested that BMC could compile some Customer
Service Target Levels of Service, including an acceptable number of
rings (or minutes) within which the phone should be answered, and
provide staff training. ‘Front of house’ welcome is as important as
confidentiality.
Prescriptions: Woodlands Pharmacy (Botley Road) will receive
prescription requests and repeat requests, lodge them with BMC,
prepare and deliver medication directly to the patient’s door (for free)
within two or three days. Wootton Pharmacy (Besselsleigh Rd,
Wootton) also lodges such requests with BMC. Patient Access is
working well for one PPG member who collects prescriptions from
Kennington Pharmacy 3--4 days after ordering on-line.
After discussion we agreed to publish PPG minutes in local
newsletters and on BMC website, as this would keep keep patients up
to date and stem misinformation and rumours.
[Drs Ahluwalia, Ballestero and McEwen and Esti Ballestero joined
meeting. The meeting continued...]
Communication: PPG’s objective No. 1 within its 2020 Action Plan is
to improve communication. The BMC agreed that this was key, as was
to be honest and open at meetings, to be supportive and respectful, and
to work towards the same objectives. They further offered to be in two-
weekly touch by email. This was agreed and noted.
National changes in Primary Care It was noted that money is being
given to create federations of practices, which they have to accept if
they want to get funding. But more has been achieved by local
initiatives than by centralized responses to the pandemic.
Patients with hearing difficulties need other ways of contacting the
practice than by telephone. The BMC website has an email address and
web based consultations are possible, but reordering a prescription
requires signing in to Patient Access, which can not be done by email.
PPG supporting BMC with new projects: BMC wishes the PPG to
support new patient engagement events and projects. The PPG
suggested this could be addressed through working groups. Action:
Sylvia to initiate setting these up, and members to volunteer.
Further initiatives: The BMC suggested the following initiatives.
Access to an allotment for those with mental problems; and help for
patients who find it hard to use the internet Action: Anne to write an
article for publication
Work still needs to be done by BMC on the leaflets provided by the PPG
after last year’s cancer screening talk. Action: Dr Ahluwalia and/or
Akinola will support Jacqui to produce this leaflet.
Reopening Kennington Health Centre
The Oxford Clinical Commissioning Group is currently looking for an
alternative Covid-19 Centre. Kennington cannot cope without KHC for
another year.
Publication of minutes of PPG meetings
The PPG will publish its minutes in local newsletters, with a view to
generating interest, and encouraging others to attend meetings.
(Minutes would not include confidential items.) BMC agreed that PPG
minutes could appear on the PPG page on the practice website. The
secretary offered to maintain the PPG webpage. Action: BMC to set
up access for PPG to post minutes
Organizations: If your organization is not listed here, please send details to
editor@thesprout.org.uk or telephone 724452 for inclusion.
1st Botley Brownies
Girls aged 7–10
Dean Court Community Centre Thur 6–7.30 Jean Metson,
firstbotleybrownies@gmail.com
2nd Botley Brownies
Girls aged 7–10
Rosary Room, Yarnells Hill. Tues 6:15-7:45 Alison
Griffin 2ndbotleybrownies@outlook.com
4th Oxford Scout Group
Beavers, Cub Scouts, Scouts
Scout Hall, Arnolds Way; mail@thefourth.org.uk
Website: http://www.thefourth.org.uk/
15th Oxford Scout Group
Boys and girls welcome
Fridays, Cubs 6.30-8, Scouts 8-9.30, 1 Church Way, Botley
Amy Cusden (Cubs) 07887 654386, Tom Freeman (Scouts)
07837 623768 xvoxfordscouts@yahoo.co.uk
Baby & Toddler Group Tues/Thurs 9.15–11, SS Peter & Paul Church Hall
Badminton Club
Thurs 7-8pm at Matthew Arnold Sports Hall. Garry Clark 0777
3559 314 garryclark13@gmail.com
BikeSafe. B4044 community
path campaign
Wants to connect Botley to Eynsham. Meets every 6-8 weeks.
Contact via website B4044path.org
Books on Wheels R.V.S. Free Library Service for housebound Ox. 248142
Botley Boys & Girls F.C.
Football teams from ages 8-16
Jason Barley Ox. 242926 jbarley1@sky.com or Brendan
Byrne 792531 brendan.byrne999@gmail.com
Botley Community Larder
Thursdays, 3.30 to 5.30 at Seacourt Bridge Pub. Drop by,
message via Facebook or email botleylarder@gmail.com
Botley Health Walks
Wednesday 9.30am. Contact Briony on Ox 246497
Botley Library
01865 248142. Open till 7 on Friday and 1pm on Sat,
otherwise 9.30 to 5.30 (closed Wednesdays).
Botley Seniors Lunch Club
Every other Thursday. Seacourt Hall. Viv Smith 01865 241539
or Jackie Warner 01865 721386
Botley Singers
Thur 7.30, St Andrew’s Church, Dean Court. Angela Astley-
Penny Ox.242189 angastpen@aol.com
Cumnor Choral Society
Rehearsals Friday 7.45 to 9.45 pm John May 07795 054142
or www.cumnorchoralsociety.wordpress.com
Cumnor Chess Club
Thurs 7–9pm Cumnor Old School. Steven Bennett 862788
www.cumnorchessclub.co.uk
Cumnor & District
Historical Society
Last Monday of the month 7.30-9.00 Cumnor Old School.
01865 724808
Cumnor Gardening Club http://cumnorgardens.org.uk/ or phone 01865 721026
Harmony InSpires, Ladies'
Acappella Singing Group
Wed 7.30 at Appleton village hall. C. Casson 01235 831352
or harmonyinspires@hotmail.co.uk
Hill End Volunteer Team
Contact: David Millin on david.millin@hill-end.org, call
863510 or visit www.hillend-oec.co.uk
Let’s Sing! – singing group Weds 2pm, WOCC, Emily 07969 522368 or email
emformusic@outlook.com
Morris Dancing – Cry Havoc
Barbara Brett 249599 or bag@cryhavoc.org.uk
North Hinksey Preschool
and Childcare clubs
Mon–Fri 7.45am–6.00 pm. Tel 794287 or email
nhps.manager1@gmail.com
N Hinksey Art Group Weds 10 – 12.00 W.I. Hall Tel: Christina 07931 707997
N Hinksey Bellringers Contact: Ray Rook 01865 241451
N Hinksey Conservation
Volunteers
Meets at weekends Contact Voirrey Carr 07798743121
voirreyc@aol.com
N Hinksey, Friends of Annual Cricket Match & Walk. Douglas Bond 791213.
N Hinksey Parish Council Sharon Henley, clerk@northhinksey-pc.gov.uk
N Hinksey Youth Club
Weds at LM pavilion, Daz on 07791 212866 or see F’book
Oxford Flood Alliance R Thurston 01865 723663 or 07973 292035
Oxford Flower Arranging Club 4th Thursday Cumnor. Dympna Walker: 01865 865259
Oxford Harmony Men's
Acappella singing group
Meets Wednesdays 7.45 pm at Seacourt Hall, Contact
pro@oxfordharmony.co.uk
Oxford Otters
Swimming for people with disabilities. Sundays, twice
monthly. Contact: Alan Cusden 723420
Oxford Rugby Club
Boys and girls from 5, kevin.honner@ntlworld.com
Seniors, training etc jbrodley@chandlings.org.uk.
Oxford Sports Lawn Tennis
Club, N Hinksey
Family club: Melanie Riste 848658
melanie_riste@hotmail.com
Raleigh Park, Friends of raleighpark@raleighpark.org.uk
Saturdads at
Botley Bridges
Fun activities and trips for Dads and under 5’s
10 am–noon 1st Sat of month. Tel: 243955
Seacourt Hall Management
Committee
Michael Cockman 07766 317691
michael.cockman@gmail.com.
Shotokan Karate Club 6+ WOCC twice weekly Martyn King 07836 646450
Walking for Health
2nd & 4th Saturdays 9.45 Botley Library.
Alan 07941 610913
West Oxford Bowls Club Contact details on www.westoxfordbowlsclub.co.uk
West Oxford Taekwon Do Club
Mon, Thurs 6.30-8pm, MA gym, contact Chris Hall 01865
570291 www.wotkd.co.uk
West Oxford U3A (Uni of the 3rd Age) http://westoxfordu3a.org.uk/
West Way Day Centre
Mon & Fri 10–3pm, Field House, 07740 611971.
oxfordshirehub@royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk
Women’s Institute (Botley) Liz Manson, 244175 or liz.manson@virginmedia.com
Weight Watchers
Thursdays 6pm at SS Peter & Paul Church Hall Banso tel:
07779 253899 bansob@aol.com
Sprout
September 2020
Still too few public gatherings for a diary,
but here are some useful phone numbers.
See North Hinksey Parish Council website for a comprehensive list of all
the local support groups currently in operation, as well as advice on
asking for help and looking to volunteer. It’s at https://northhinksey-
pc.gov.uk/covid-19-community-hub/ If you have something to add, please
email the website manager Councillor Lorna Berrett
on lberrett.nhpc@gmail.com. All your local parish councillors’ contact
details are on the website too, so if you need help, you can ask any of
them and they will rally round.
Church contact details are on the inside back cover.
Oxford Hub’s email is: hello@oxfordtogether.org
Phone: 07957 105129 (9-5pm Mon-Fri)
Citizens Advice Adviceline on 0300 3309 042
Woodlands Pharmacy: 01865 242649
Lloyds Pharmacy: 01865 247023
Age UK Oxfordshire offers a new telephone support line for older people.
You leave a message on 01865 411288 and they will call you back.
Nextdoor North Hinksey is a local chatroom full of help and advice.
Anyone already on it can invite you to join, or contact the Sprout
Finally, two handy Facebook pages:
The Botley Notice Board (OXON)
and Oxford Covid-19 Mutual Aid group
Th e S p r ou t is p ri n te d b y D a ta p r in t Lt d , a n d p u bl i s he d by No r t h
Hi n ks e y Pa r i sh P ub l i ca t io n s L t d , ( a c o mp a n y l i mi t ed b y gu a ra n t ee )
Re g is t r at i on No . 0 5 6 09 5 35 .
It ca n al s o be f ou n d o n l in e at Bo t l ey H in k s ey. o r g. u k